Neil Armstrong - Astronaut, Explorer, Pilot - Biography.com Neil Armstrong Astronaut, military pilot, and educator, Neil Armstrong made history on July 20, 1969, by becoming the first man to walk on the moon. IN THESE GROUPS » quotes “It's a brilliant surface in that sunlight. The horizon seems quite close to you because the curvature is so much more pronounced than here on earth. It's an interesting place to be. I recommend it."[Describing the moon.]” “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” “America is respected for its contributions it has made in learning to sail on this new ocean. If the leadership we have acquired through our investment is simply allowed to fade away, other nations will surely step in where we have faltered. I do not believe that would be in our best interests.” “The exciting part for me, as a pilot, was the landing on the moon.” “A century hence, 2000 may be viewed as quite a primitive period in human history. It's something to hope for.” “There are great ideas undiscovered, breakthroughs available to those who can remove one of truth's protective layers.

There are places to go beyond belief.” “I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul. We're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream.” “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” “Neil was among the greatest of American heroes--not just of his time, but of all time.” “My friend Neil took the small step but giant leap that changed the world and will forever be remembered as a landmark moment in human history.” Neil Armstrong Neil Armstrong - Mini Biography (TV-14; 4:03) Neil Armstrong joined the organization that would become NASA in 1962 and was command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII, in 1966. He was spacecraft commander for Apollo 11 and the first man to walk on the moon. Synopsis Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930. After serving in the Korean War and then finishing college, he joined the organization that would become NASA.

He joined the astronaut program in 1962 and was command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII, in 1966. He was spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar mission, and became the first man to walk on the moon. He died in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2012. Military Service Astronaut Neil Armstrong developed a fascination with flight at an early age and earned his student pilot's license when he was 16. In 1947, Armstrong began his studies in aeronautical engineering at Purdue University on a U.S. Navy scholarship. In 1949, as part of his scholarship, Armstrong trained as a pilot in the Navy and two years later, served in the Korean War. He flew 78 combat missions during this military conflict. He left the service in 1952, and returned to college. A few years later, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). For this government agency he worked in a number of different capacities, including serving as a test pilot and an engineer.

He tested many high-speed aircraft, including the X-15, which could reach a top speed of 4,000 miles per hour. Astronaut Program In his personal life, Armstrong started to settle down. He married Janet Shearon on January 28, 1956. The couple soon added to their family. Son Eric arrived in 1957, followed daughter Karen in 1959. Sadly, Karen died of complications related to an inoperable brain tumor in January 1962. The following year, the Armstrongs welcomed their third child, son Mark. That same year, Armstrong joined the astronaut program. He and his family moved to Houston, Texas, and Armstrong served as the command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII. He and fellow astronaut David Scott were launched into the earth's orbit on March 16, 1966. While in orbit, they were able to briefly dock their space capsule with the Gemini Agena target vehicle. This was the first time two vehicles had successfully docked in space. During this maneuver, however, they experienced some problems and had to cut their mission short.

They landed in the Pacific Ocean nearly 11 hours after the mission's start, and were later rescued by the U.S.S. Mason. Moon Landing Armstrong faced an even bigger challenge in 1969. Along with Michael Collins and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, he was part of NASA's first manned mission to the moon. The trio were launched into space on July 16, 1969. Serving as the mission's commander, Armstrong piloted the Lunar Module to the moon's surface on July 20, 1969, with Buzz Aldrin aboard. Collins remained on the Command Module. At 10:56 PM, Armstrong exited the Lunar Module. He said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," as he made his famous first step on the moon. For about two and a half hours, Armstrong and Aldrin collected samples and conducted experiments. They also took photographs, including their own footprints. Returning on July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 craft came down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii. The crew and the craft were picked up by the U.S.S.

Hornet, and the three astronauts were put into quarantine for three weeks. Before long, the three Apollo 11 astronauts were given a warm welcome home. Crowds lined the streets of New York City to cheer on the famous heroes who were honored in a ticker-tape parade. Armstrong received numerous awards for his efforts, including the Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Later Contributions Armstrong remained with NASA, serving as deputy associate administrator for aeronautics until 1971. After leaving NASA, he joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati as a professor of aerospace engineering. Armstrong remained at the university for eight years. Staying active in his field, he served as the chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc., from 1982 to 1992. Helping out at a difficult time, Armstrong served as vice chairman of the Presidential Commission on the space shuttle Challenger accident in 1986. The commission investigated the explosion of the Challenger on January 28, 1986, which took the lives of its crew, including school teacher Christa McAuliffe.

Death & Legacy Despite being one of the most famous astronauts in history, Armstrong largely shied away from the public eye. He gave a rare interview to the news program 60 Minutes in 2005. He described the moon to interviewer Ed Bradley, saying "It's a brilliant surface in that sunlight. The horizon seems quite close to you because the curvature is so much more pronounced than here on earth. It's an interesting place to be. I recommend it." That same year, his authorized biography came out. First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong was written by James R. Hansen, who conducted interviews with Armstrong, his family, and his friends and associates. Even in his final years, Armstrong remained committed to space exploration. The press-shy astronaut returned to the spotlight in 2010 to express his concerns over changes made to the U.S. space program. He testified in Congress against President Barack Obama's decision to cancel the Constellation program, which included another mission to the moon. Obama also sought to encourage private companies to get involved in the space travel business and to move forward with more unmanned space missions. Taking this new decision, Armstrong said, would cost the United States its leadership position in space exploration.

"America is respected for its contributions it has made in learning to sail on this new ocean. If the leadership we have acquired through our investment is simply allowed to fade away, other nations will surely step in where we have faltered. I do not believe that would be in our best interests," he told Congress, according to a report on NewsHour. Armstrong underwent a heart bypass operation in August 2012. A few weeks later, on August 25, 2012, at the age of 82, Neil Armstrong died of complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was survived by his second wife, Carol, in Indian Hill, Ohio, and his two sons from his first marriage. He and his first wife divorced in 1994. Shortly after his death, his family released a statement: "For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink." News of Armstrong's death quickly spread around the world.

President Obama was among those offering their condolences to his family and sharing their remembrances of the late space pioneer. "Neil was among the greatest of American heroes—not just of his time, but of all time," Obama said, according to the Los Angeles Times. His Apollo 11 colleague Buzz Aldrin said that "I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew. My friend Neil took the small step but giant leap that changed the world and will forever be remembered as a landmark moment in human history," according to CBS News. Videos 'Neil Armstrong' recalls the astronaut, pilot, and man - CSMonitor.com 'Neil Armstrong' recalls the astronaut, pilot, and man Latest News Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight by Jay Barbree, View Caption of With all that has been written about the late Neil Armstrong , including an award-winning biography by Auburn University historian James Hansen, is there really room for another book? Sit back, put up your feet, and spend some time with Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight, by Jay Barbree, NBC’s longtime space correspondent, who has covered the US manned spaceflight program for more than half a century.

To be sure, this is not the definitive, footnote-packed Armstrong biography. Instead, this book has the feel of sitting down with Barbree at a barbeque for an extended conversation. Barbree’s narrative unfolds with a particular eye toward Armstrong’s mastery of the machines he would come to fly, from F9Fs as a Navy carrier pilot during the Korean War and NASA’s X-15 to the ungainly lunar landing training vehicle and Apollo’s Lunar Excursion Module itself. Indeed, flying is a passion that Barbree and Armstrong shared, although Barbree acknowledges that “as a pilot, I couldn’t carry Neil Armstrong’s lunchbox.” Recommended: Famous opening lines: Take our literature quiz Drawing on decades of notes, recorded interviews, and e-mails with Armstrong as well as a range of astronauts and key players in launch and mission controls, Barbree begins his account with Armstrong’s service flying F9F jets off the aircraft carrier USS Essex during the Korean War and a mission that nearly cost Armstrong his life. What are you reading? Tell us about the book that's currenly on your bedside table.

During a bombing and strafing run in a narrow river valley, an antiaircraft cable the North Koreans had strung across the valley sliced off the outer six to eight feet of Armstrong’s right wing. Armstrong, who had earned a pilot’s license before he had a driver’s license, nearly augered in before he regained control and climbed out of the valley. The near-crash prompted the relieved Armstrong to remind himself that “20 feet above the ground is no place to be at 350 knots.” Under the care of his wingman, Armstrong nursed the craft back over friendly territory, where he safely ejected. What seemed to set Armstrong apart was a passion for flight that motivated him to earn an aeronautical engineering degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., courtesy of the US Navy, and set as his initial goal a career as a test pilot. And he displayed a coolness in times of apparent crisis, engendered by intensive preparation and a deep understanding of the machines he was flying.

Barbree’s account of Armstrong’s successful battle with an out-of-control Gemini 8 capsule, spinning ever faster because of a malfunctioning thruster, is one of several instances in which he fills in details about the risks encountered during the run-up to the Apollo 11 mission. His recounting of the Apollo 1 launchpad fire, which killed three astronauts, through the historic mission Armstrong undertook with Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins, runs at a crisp pace, with occasional flashes of near-poetry. Following his narrative of the landing, Barbree writes: “They had indeed landed on a dead world. A land that had never known the caress of seas, never felt life stirring in its soil, never felt the smallest leaf drift to its surface.... They were on a world where a thermonuclear fireball would sound no louder than a falling snowflake.” The prose reflects an appreciation for life and animation born of tragedy that Armstrong and Barbree shared – both their families were confronted with the death of young children. In addition, Barbree survived a heart attack in 1987, one that left him declared clinically dead for several minutes, according to his recounting of the event.

After the shuttle program ended following the second of two tragedies – Challenger and Columbia, which collectively cost the lives of 14 astronauts to lax technical oversight, the result of a creeping willingness to accept dodged bullets as a new normal – both men expressed severe frustration at the unwillingness of successive US administrations and Congresses to fully support with money as well as words a consistent vision for the US human spaceflight program that leads back to the moon and on to explorations of Mars. Through the years, the two men became close friends, a relationship that is apparent throughout the narrative. Yet, in many ways, this book is as much Barbree’s effort to chronicle the trajectory of the human spaceflight program as it is a remembrance of Armstrong’s contributions during and after his time as an astronaut. As someone who has covered every US human spaceflight launch, Barbree ends with a not-so subtle sense that another countdown clock is ticking. “Rest in peace, my good man,” he writes to Armstrong who died in 2012. “We’ll be along directly.” Um, Jay? We may still have some built-in holds scheduled. Pete Spotts is a Monitor staff writer and science reporter.

Next up Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox. Daily Neil Armstrong: War Veteran, Test Pilot, Educator, Explorer – Now a part of history | By Steve Wiggins | August 26, 2012 | Filed under: News Neil Armstrong Photo:Molly Riley/Reuters Millions of us were saddened when word of the death of Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on another world, flashed around the Third Rock From the Sun Saturday. Armstrong died from complications of recent cardiac surgery. He was 82. Before becoming an astronaut, Armstrong was an officer in the U.S. Navy and served his country in the Korean War. after Korea, he became a test pilot. among the high performance craft Armstrong flew, was the famous, near-hypersonic, Bell X-15, which he piloted to the edge of space. His first spaceflight was NASA’s Gemini 8 in 1966, in which he and co-pilot David Scott performed the first manned docking of two spacecraft. His next, and final mission to space was the Apollo 11 moon landing in July 1969.

On this mission, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the lunar surface and spent 2½ hours exploring, while Michael Collinsremained in orbit in the Command Module. Armstrong was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by PresidentRichard Nixon along with Collins and Aldrin, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden NASA Administrator, Charlie Bolden, a former astronaut himself, issued this statement: “On behalf of the entire NASA family, I would like to express my deepest condolences to Carol and the rest of the Armstrong family on the passing of Neil Armstrong. As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind’s first small step on a world beyond our own. “Besides being one of America’s greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humility that was an example to us all. When President Kennedy challenged the nation to send a human to the moon, Neil Armstrong accepted without reservation. “As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong.

We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero.” On Saturday, Armstrong’s family issued this statement through NASA: “We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. Neil was our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job. He served his Nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. He also found success back home in his native Ohio in business and academia, and became a community leader in Cincinnati. He remained an advocate of aviation and exploration throughout his life and never lost his boyhood wonder of these pursuits. As much as Neil cherished his privacy, he always appreciated the expressions of good will from people around the world and from all walks of life. While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves. For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request.

Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.” Neil Armstrong and Rep. Brooks before a hearing of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on the future of human spaceflight, September 22, 2011. Congressman Mo Brooks of the 5th Congressional District had this to say about Armstrong’s passing: “I am deeply saddened by Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s passing. Armstrong will always hold a special place in history and in the hearts of the many North Alabamians whose work at NASA created the Saturn V rocket that carried the Apollo 11 crew into space. Today we remember Armstrong’s humble spirit, dedicated service to our country, and quest to push the boundaries of human knowledge. “I will always treasure the opportunity I had to meet Neil Armstrong when he testified before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and I will always remember Armstrong’s concern that America’s exceptional manned spaceflight capabilities are in jeopardy.

“Neil Armstrong was an American hero, and we can best honor his memory by continuing the mission of human exploration in space.” Neil Armstrong and Family in 1969 Farewell Neil Armstrong, the Ultimate Test Pilot | WIRED Farewell Neil Armstrong, the Ultimate Test Pilot subscribe 6 months for $5 - plus a FREE Portable Phone Charger. 9 hours Sometimes to get a clearer sense of reality, you have to take some time to dream: bit.ly/2hERaZn Author: Jason Paur. Jason Paur Science Date of Publication: 08.25.12. Time of Publication: 6:25 pm. 6:25 pm Farewell Neil Armstrong, the Ultimate Test Pilot Neil Armstrong with the North American X-15 rocket powered airplane after landing on a dry lakebed. Armstrong flew the X-15 seven times reaching a top speed of 3,989 miles per hour. Photo: NASA Neil Armstrong — who has died at the age of 82 — was best known as the commander of Apollo 11, but his career at NASA began nearly a decade earlier as a research test pilot.

A trained aerospace engineer, Armstrong was a self-described “white-socks, pocket-protector, nerdy engineer” who worked at the cutting edge of flight test throughout the 1960s, flying everything from a hang-glider type aircraft towed behind a biplane, to a hypersonic rocket-powered airplane that flew to the edge of space. Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio and first began building model airplanes while in elementary school. He told biographer James Hansen he initially wanted to be an airplane designer, but “later went into piloting because I thought a good designer ought to know the operational aspects of an airplane.” The future astronaut soloed an airplane just a few weeks after his sixteenth birthday. Before being selected as an astronaut, Armstrong was a naval aviator flying F9F Panther fighter jets in the Korean War. After the war, he became a research pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor to NASA. While a research pilot NACA and later NASA, he flew the rocket powered Bell X-1B and the North American X-15 along with a wide variety of jet and propeller aircraft totaling more than 200 different types.

During his time in the X-15 program , Armstrong demonstrated his engineering skills working on the hypersonic aircraft’s flight control system as well as the relatively primitive simulator used to develop flight profiles of the first winged aircraft to fly into space. During his highest of seven flights in the X-15 , he climbed to 207,500 feet. After the engine stopped (as planned) and he was gliding back to land, Armstrong was testing a new control system when he bounced off the top of the atmosphere, skipping past Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert and not getting the rocket airplane turned around until flying near Pasadena. He was fifty miles south of his landing spot in a rocket plane that was now a rather poor glider. But the calm engineer says, “that wasn’t a great concern to me because there were other dry lakes available.” He would later call the longest X-15 flight of all “a learning thing.” The entire flight lasted just 12 minutes, 28 seconds.

At the same time Armstrong was working on the X-15 program, he also worked on the Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar project, part of the Air Force’s ‘Man in Space Soonest’ program. The X-20 was to be a winged spacecraft that was an early predecessor to the space shuttle orbiters. As a test pilot and engineer, Armstrong flew a modified Douglas F5D fighter jet — now on display at the Neil Armstrong Museum in Wapakoneta — on a series of flights to develop launch abort procedures that were to be used for the winged X-20 spacecraft. Armstrong’s quiet engineering demeanor was perhaps best demonstrated after a flight in the Lunar Lander Training Vehicle (LLTV). Affectionately known as the “ flying bedsteads ,” the LLTV was used to train astronauts who would be making approaches to the lunar surface and was basically a large jet engine pointed downward and small thrusters that could control the attitude of the vehicle during flight. It was considered a very difficult, and dangerous aircraft to fly. On a LLTV flight in 1968, Armstrong lost control of the aircraft due to a propellant leak and windy conditions.

He ejected only moments before it crashed in a fireball . According to James Hansen’s biography, an hour or so later fellow astronaut Alan Bean returned to his desk after lunch and found Armstrong at his own desk simply “shuffling some papers.” Bean didn’t believe what others had told him about the crash so he asked Armstrong who replied, “I lost control and had to bail out of the darn thing.” At a meeting of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in 2007, Armstrong described the development and use of the LLTV . Armstrong joined the astronaut corps as part of the “new nine” and first flew on Gemini 8 along with David Scott. The Gemini 8 mission was set to make the first rendezvous and docking with another spacecraft in orbit to test docking procedures. Upon docking with the Agena, an unmanned target vehicle, the Gemini spacecraft and Agena began spinning. Armstrong disconnected from the Agena and then began spinning even faster, approximately one revolution per second. Facing an unplanned flight test kind situation once again, Armstrong put his experience as a test pilot and engineer to work and decided to use the reentry control system to slow down the rotation.

The solution worked, but cut short the flight which ended after less than 11 hours. After the Gemini flight experience, Armstrong was the backup commander for Gemini 11 but did not fly to space. He was then selected as backup commander for Apollo 8, the first mission to leave earth orbit and circle the moon. In December of 1968, while Apollo 8 was still in space, Armstrong was offered the commander position for Apollo 11. At the time, there was no guarantee that meant he would be commanding the mission to the moon. There was still plenty that could go wrong forcing a delay and bumping a moon landing to Apollo 12 or later. Apollo 8 was only the third flight for the massive Saturn V rocket, and the first carrying astronauts. The mission combined several tests that were initially expected to be spread over a few flights. The bold decision to proceed and successful Apollo 8 mission were critical in making Armstrong’s Apollo 11 flight to the moon possible. Armstrong later said in his biography: “I cannot imagine NASA management in any subsequent period of time being willing to take that kind of step.” Of course, it was less than a year later that Armstrong himself would make the biggest step.

After a three day trip to the moon, Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins entered lunar orbit on July 19. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin began their descent towards the surface inside Eagle, the lunar landing module. The flight to the surface did not quite go as planned. During the descent several alarms from the flight guidance computer distracted the astronauts. The onboard computers were inundated with extraneous radar information, but the alarms were determined not to be a problem. But Armstrong also noticed he and Aldrin were flying faster than expected across the lunar surface and were likely going to overshoot their landing site. As the Eagle passed 1,500 feet above the surface, Armstrong saw they were heading for a crater. He thought this might be a good option as it would have “more scientific value to be close to a large crater.” But the steep slope and big rocks did not provide a safe place to land. Most of the famous photos from the lunar surface during Apollo 11 are of astronaut Buzz Aldrin. This is the only photo showing all of Neil Armstrong standing on the surface of the moon.

Photo: NASA As they continued to fly over areas covered with large rocks and boulders, Armstrong took over control of the Eagle and continued flying it manually. He was able to use his training from the LLTV to maneuver as they continued to descend to the surface. But all of the maneuvering was using up propellant. At 200 feet above the surface, Armstrong finally was able to find a place to land. Aldrin: Eleven [feet per second] forward. Coming down nicely. Two hundred feet, four and a half down. Armstrong: Gonna be right over that crater. Aldrin: Five and a half down. Armstrong: I got a good spot. Aldrin: One hundred and sixty feet, six and a half down. Five and a half down, nine forward. You’re looking good. As they passed 75 feet mission control in Houston determined the Eagle only had 60 seconds of fuel left. Armstrong says he wasn’t terribly concerned about the low fuel situation, “typically in the LLTV it wasn’t unusual to land with 15 seconds left of fuel.” About 40 seconds later Armstrong made a final few maneuvers before announcing the landing was complete.

Armstrong: Shutdown. Neil Armstrong Neil Armstrong Location of death: Cincinnati, OH Cause of death: Complications of Surgery Remains: Burial at sea, Atlantic Ocean, off Florida's eastern coast Gender: Male Executive summary: First man on the Moon Military service: US Navy (pilot, Korean War) Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. It happened on 20 July 1969, and millions of people watched worldwide on live television. His mission and safe return are widely considered to be among America's greatest accomplishments of the 20th century. Armstrong was a Navy fighter pilot in the Korean war, and flew 78 combat missions. Later, as a civilian, he flew extensively as a test pilot. As a NASA astronaut, he commanded Gemini VIII in 1966, which conducted the first rendezvous of two spacecraft in orbit, and narrowly averted disaster when a stuck thruster made the Gemini craft roll and yaw uncontrollably. In 1968, the pressurization system for the steering jets on Armstrong's lunar landing research vehicle failed. Armstrong ejected safely, but the $1.5 million vehicle was a complete loss.

In 1969, Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 mission, and made history. Without in any way minimizing his courage -- space travel was and remains very dangerous -- it's worth remembering that Armstrong's accomplishment was not his alone. Two other astronauts ( Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin ) accompanied him on his most famous mission, and the Apollo program was designed, constructed, and monitored all along its way by thousands of experts. It cost more than $25 billion -- about 1/6 of the cost of the Vietnam war, in 1960s dollars. NASA higher-ups decided which astronauts would make which missions, and any of the astronauts could have been chosen. When the crew for Apollo 11 was named, NASA decided weeks in advance that Armstrong, not Aldrin, would be the first to step out of the landing vehicle, and thus forever be the correct answer on history and science quizzes. Even Armstrong's famous words when he stepped onto the moon ("That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind") were scripted for him -- and either flubbed or garbled in transmission. It was supposed to be "one small step for a man", which makes much more sense.

Father: Stephen Armstrong Wife: Janet Shearon Armstrong (m. 1956, div. 1994, two sons) Wife: Carol Held Knight Neil Armstrong Blog Neil Armstrong Former test pilot and astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the surface of the moon in 1969, and was quoted as saying, ï¿½That's one small step for Man, one giant leap for mankind." Early years Neil Alden Armstrong was born near Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930. He was a Eagle Scout in his youth. As an adult, he was recognized with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and the Silver Buffalo Award by the Boy Scouts of America. In 1950, he served in the Korean War as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot. He flew 78 combat missions and received the Air Medal with two Gold Stars. Following the war, Armstrong enrolled in Purdue University. He graduated in 1955 with a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering. Armstrong then became a civilian test pilot with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor to NASA .

He flew at the High-Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He was at the controls on many high-speed aircraft, including the 4,000-mph X-15. Armstrong flew more than 200 different kinds of aircraft, including jets, rockets, helicopters and gliders. Into space In 1962, Armstrong was transferred to astronaut status, and he served as the backup command pilot for the Gemini 5 mission in 1965. He was then assigned as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission that was launched on March 16, 1966. Armstrong became the first to successfully dock two vehicles in space. He became the backup command pilot for the Gemini 11 mission in 1966, and also served as commander of the backup crew for the Apollo 8 lunar orbital mission in 1968. On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Neil Armstrong commanded the mission, along with Edwin ï¿½Buzz" Aldrin, the lunar module pilot; and command module pilot Michael Collins.

The landing on the moon took place on July 20, 1969. After the landing on the moon Neil Armstrong's first words were: ï¿½Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Six hours later, Armstrong climbed out of the lunar module and became the first person in history to walk on the moon. That is when his famous words were spoken: ï¿½That's one small step for Man, one giant leap for mankind." Post-lunar career Following the lunar landing and a triumphal return, Armstrong took the position of Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics, NASA Headquarters, in Washington, D.C. He was the overseer of the overall research and technology work related to aeronautics. He became a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati from 1971 to 1979, followed by serving as chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia, from 1982 to 1992. Armstrong also has served as a member of the National Commission on Space, from 1985 to 1986.

He was the vice-chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident in 1986, and served as chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Peace Corps from 1971 to 1973. Honors for a pioneer Armstrong has received honorary doctorates from 17 countries, and is the recipient of many other honors, including: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Congressional Space Medal of Honor, Explorers Club Medal, Buzz Aldrin: Neil Armstrong Was ‘The Best Pilot I Ever Knew’ - The Daily Beast Apollo 11 Buzz Aldrin: Neil Armstrong Was ‘The Best Pilot I Ever Knew’ Before he made history on the moon, Neil Armstrong was famous among military aviators for his bold test flights and his ‘steel trap of a mind.’ Taylor Dinerman talks to Buzz Aldrin about his friend’s legacy. Taylor Dinerman 08.27.12 8:45 AM ET From the point of view of America's politicians, the most significant thing about Neil Armstrong was that on July 20, 1969, when he became the first man to set foot on the moon, he was a civilian.

Unlike his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins, Armstrong was not a military officer assigned to NASA. It would have been too much of a contradiction if the lunar plaque signed by Richard Nixon, which read in part, "We came in peace for all mankind" was put in place by a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel or a Navy commander. It was not that Armstrong had never served in the military. As a naval aviator during the Korean War, he'd flown F9F Panther fighter-bombers from an aircraft carrier off the coast of North Korea. In the course of five combat tours he earned a reputation as one of the best pilots in the Navy. But he quit the Navy after graduating from Purdue, becoming a full-time civilian researcher and test pilot, first at the Lewis National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) center outside Cleveland, Ohio (now called NASA Glenn), and later out of the legendary Edwards Air Force Base in the California high desert. There, Armstrong became famous for flying the dangerous and temperamental X-15 rocket plane. His March 1962 X-15 flight took him up to 207,000 feet in altitude.

Not quite high enough to earn one's astronaut wings, but a remarkable feat. Inside the small world of military aviation, his exploits as a test pilot are still spoken of with awe. One of the stories that is told is that after landing a plane in the desert after its engines had both failed, Armstrong was rolling to a stop when he saw an obstacle that he was about to crash into. According to the legend, he used his speed and the flaps and rudders of his aircraft to force the plane up onto one wheel and, like a movie stunt driver, swerved around the obstacle precariously balanced on a single bit of rubber. Other stories tell of his close calls and the controversial landing he made on what was supposed to be a dry lake bed in Nevada. In fact, it was a bit too muddy to hold up the weight of the two-seat T-33 training jet he was flying, and its wheels sank into the mud, apparently much to the amusement of his passenger, Chuck Yeager. His skill as a research and test pilot certainly impressed Buzz Aldrin. Armstrong was “the best pilot I ever knew,” Aldrin said in an interview with The Daily Beast shortly after his former colleague’s death.

That is high praise indeed coming from a man who had flown F-86 jet fighters in combat in Korea and who has his own impressive set of flying and technical academic credentials. Armstrong's ability to memorize the smallest engineering detail and to be able to explain, in even more detail, the intricate working of any aircraft he tested made him the outstanding test pilot of his generation. To this day, within military aviation, he is famous for his "steel trap" mind and his unflappable demeanor. He joined the NASA astronaut corps in September 1962, a bit more than a year after President Kennedy had committed America "within this decade" to "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.” Armstrong entered astronaut training confident of his abilities; as he told his biographer James Hansen, he had "worked actively with the guys in the simulator lab constructing simulations to try and investigate problems." Since the Apollo project involved doing things that had never been done before—landing a rocket-powered vehicle on the moon, to be precise—learning how to simulate unprecedented maneuvers was essential. Intense and repeated training in high fidelity simulators has always characterized preparation for manned spaceflight, especially at NASA.

Armstrong was not only able to take full advantage of this training, but helped establish the tradition that NASA astronauts will always be superbly well prepared for their missions. His first spaceflight was the Gemini VIII mission flown in March 1966 with his partner David Scott. The mission included America's second spacewalk and the first rendezvous and docking maneuver, an essential spaceflight technique not only for the Apollo missions but for almost all subsequent space operations. For example, the International Space Station could never have been built without using the techniques Neil Armstrong helped pioneer on the Gemini VIII mission. While the NASA program recovered from the January 1967 Apollo 1 disaster that killed Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Ed White, Armstrong was hard at work helping develop the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle. This was a weird-looking, dangerous jet- and rocket-powered contraption, sometimes called the flying bedstead. According to Buzz Aldrin, it was used to train Apollo mission commanders in the piloting skills they would need to land on the lunar surface. Armstrong was flying one on May 6, 1968 when it crashed. Armstrong ejected and parachuted to safety.

According to one source, he walked away without a drop of sweat on him; behind his eyes the pilots and technicians could almost see him calculating and figuring exactly what had caused the explosion. Thanks to Armstrong's ability as an engineer, the problem (a faulty thruster) was quickly identified and repaired and training for the lunar landing was quickly resumed. The choice of the Apollo 11 crew was partly predetermined by the fact that Aldrin and Armstrong had trained together as backup for a previous mission. Once Armstrong had been picked to be the commander, he quickly decided that he wanted Aldrin in the lunar module with him and that Mike Collins would be the best man for the job of commanding the Apollo capsule itself. Together, on July 16, 1969, they rode the giant Saturn V into orbit, flawlessly connected their capsule to the lunar lander, and rocketed out of Earth’s orbit heading for the moon. Arriving in orbit around the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin in the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) detached from Collins in the Apollo capsule and began the nerve-wracking descent towards the moon's surface. Armstrong flew the LEM while Aldrin manned the primitive flight computer.

As Buzz Aldrin explained, "At 500 feet the commander [Armstrong] took over manual control to get a feel for what the spacecraft was like before going for the landing." Armstrong made a few last-second maneuvers to avoid some dangerous rocks and successfully landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. All the hard years of training, education, and experience had paid off; Armstrong had made it look easy. Notoriously, as he stepped onto the moon Armstrong intended to say, "It's a small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind." Instead he pronounced the now immortal, but grammatically infelicitous words, "It's a small step for man, a giant leap for mankind." Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily DigestStart and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast. Cheat SheetA speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). Neil Alden Armstrong facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Neil Alden Armstrong COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. Neil Alden Armstrong The American astronaut Neil Alden Armstrong (born 1930) was the first person to walk on the moon.

Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, near Wapakoneta, Ohio, the eldest of three children of Stephen and Viola Engel Armstrong. Airplanes drew his interest from the age of six, when he took his first flight, and on his 16th birthday he was issued a pilot's license. A serious pilot even at this age, Armstrong built a small wind tunnel in the basement of his home and performed experiments on the model planes he had made. Years of Training Armstrong entered Purdue University in 1947 with a U.S. Navy scholarship. After two years of study he was called to active duty with the Navy and won his jet wings at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida. At 20 he was the youngest pilot in his squadron. He flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War and won three Air Medals. Armstrong returned to Purdue and completed a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. He immediately accepted a job with the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in Cleveland, Ohio. A year later he married Janet Shearon.

An Aeronautical Career Shortly afterward, Armstrong transferred to the NACA High Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Here he became a skilled test pilot and flew the early models of such jet aircraft as the F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-5D, and B-47. He also flew a B-29 "drop plane," from which various types of rocket-propelled planes were launched. More important for his later role, he became a pilot of the X-1B rocket plane, an earlier version of which had been the first plane to break the sound barrier. Armstrong was selected as one of the first three pilots of NACA for the X-15 rocket plane, and he made seven flights in this prototype spacecraft. Once he set a record altitude of 207,500 feet and a speed of 3,989 miles per hour. Armstrong received an invitation from the American space-flight program, but he demonstrated little enthusiasm for becoming an astronaut. His real love was piloting.

Largely because of his experience with the X-15, he was selected as a pilot of the Dynasoar, an experimental craft that could leave the atmosphere, orbit earth, reenter the atmosphere, and land like a conventional airplane. Astronautics: A Step into Space In 1962, however, sensing that the days of the projected Dynasoar were numbered (it was canceled in 1963), Armstrong decided to become an astronaut and applied for selection and training. In September 1962 he became America's first civilian astronaut and moved to Houston, Texas, to begin training. Armstrong's attitude toward his job, at least prior to his first space mission, was summed up in a statement to a reporter in 1965: "I rule out the possibility of agreeing to go up if I thought I might not come back, unless it were technically indispensable. Dying in space or on the moon is not technically indispensable and consequently if I had to choose between death while testing a jet and death on the moon, I'd choose death while testing a jet." Armstrong's first flight assignment as an astronaut was as backup, or alternate, command pilot for Gordon Cooper of the Gemini 5 mission.

Armstrong continued his specialized training on the Gemini spacecraft and was selected as the command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission. With copilot David Scott he was launched from Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral), Florida, on March 16, 1966. The Gemini 8 achieved orbit and docked as planned with the Agena vehicle, but shortly afterward the vehicle went out of control. Armstrong detached his craft from the Agena, corrected the malfunction, and brought the Gemini down in the Pacific Ocean only 1.1 nautical miles from the planned landing point. His cool and professional conduct made a strong impression on the officials of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. Armstrong continued his intensive training on the Gemini spacecraft and was selected as the backup command pilot for the Gemini 11 mission, which was flown, however, by astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr., and Richard Gordon. As the training for the Apollo program got under way, it was obvious that Armstrong rated high among those being considered for the important role of being the first American on the moon. He undertook his training program with the same cool, analytical, and almost detached approach that had always marked his attitude to flying.

During a routine training flight on the lunar landing research vehicle, a training device that permits astronauts to maneuver a craft in a flight environment similar to that in landing on the moon, Armstrong's craft went out of control. He ejected himself and landed by parachute only yards away from the training vehicle, which had crashed in flames. With his usual imperturbability he walked away and calmly made his report. Again, his behavior and attitude were noted by those who were evaluating candidates for the first crew to the moon. Selection for the Moon Mission In January 1969 Armstrong was selected as commander for Apollo 11, the first lunar landing mission. On July 16 at 9:32 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), Armstrong, together with astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin, lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, aboard the Saturn 5 space booster. Apollo 11 passed into the gravitational influence of the moon on July 18 and circled the moon twice. Armstrong and Aldrin entered the lunar module, named the Eagle, which then disconnected from the command and service module.

As they descended toward the lunar surface, their computer became overloaded, but under continuous instructions from the mission control center at Houston, Armstrong continued the gradual touchdown. Suddenly a boulder field loomed in front of him. He quickly switched to manual control and guided the Eagle over it to a smooth landing with only 10 seconds of fuel left. At 4:17:40 P.M. EDT on July 20, a major portion of the earth population was listening to Armstrong's transmission, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." At 10:56 P.M. he set foot on the moon, saying, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." (Later, he stated that he had intended to say, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.") Armstrong and Aldrin spent nearly two and a half hours walking on the moon. Armstrong reported: "The surface is fine and powdery. I can pick it up loosely with my toe. It does adhere in fine layers like powdered charcoal to the soles and sides of my boots.

I only go in a fraction of an inch, may be an eighth of an inch, but I can see the footprints of my boots." The astronauts deployed various scientific instruments on the moon's surface, including a seismograph and solar-wind particle collector, and collected rock and soil samples. They also left a mission patch and medals commemorating American and Russian space explorers who had died in the line of duty, along with a plaque reading, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. We came in peace for all mankind." Armstrong and Aldrin returned to the Eagle and launched themselves to rendezvous with Collins, who had been orbiting in the Columbia spacecraft. On July 24 Columbia returned to earth. It splashed down at 12:50 P.M. EDT some 950 miles southwest of Hawaii and only 2.7 miles from its aiming point. After 18 days of quarantine to control any lunar microorganisms, Armstrong and the others traveled around the world for parades and speeches. The mission brought honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Harmon International Aviation Trophy, the Royal Geographic Society's Hubbard Gold Medal, and accolades from many nations.

Armstrong became a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the American Astronautical Society, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Career after NASA Apollo 11 was Armstrong's final space mission. He joined Nasa's Office of Advanced Research and Technology, where he served as deputy associate administrator for aeronautics. One of his main priorities in this position was to further research into controlling high-performance aircraft by computer. In 1970 he earned a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. A private man, Armstrong rejected most opportunities to profit from his fame. He left NASA in 1971 and moved his family back to Ohio to accept a position at the University of Cincinnati. There he spent seven years engaged in teaching and research as a professor of aerospace engineering. He took special interest in the application of space technology to such challenges as improving medical devices and providing data on the environment.

In 1978 Armstrong was one of the first six recipients of the congressional Space Medal of Honor, created to recognize astronauts whose "exceptionally meritorious efforts" had contributed to "the welfare of the Nation and mankind." A member of the board of directors of Gates Learjet Corporation, in 1979 he piloted that company's new business jet to five world-altitude and time-to-climb records for that class of aircraft. Other boards Armstrong served on included those of USCX Corporation and United Airlines. In between his business ventures and such hobbies as fishing and sail-planing, he also chaired the board of trustees of the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History. Armstrong did accept two further government appointments. In 1984 he was named to the National Commission on Space, which two years later completed a report outlining an ambitious future for American space programs. Also in 1986, Armstrong was named deputy chair of the Rogers Commission to investigate the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. The commission's work resulted in major changes in NASA's management structure and safety practices. From 1980 to 1982, Armstrong was chair of the board of Cardwell International.

He accepted a similar post with Computing Technologies for Aviation (CTA) in 1982. CTA, which was based in Charlottesville, Virginia, provided software for flight scheduling and support activities, allowing corporate jet operators to maximize the efficient use of their aircraft. Armstrong stepped down as head of CTA in 1993. He later presided over the board of AIL Systems, Inc., an electronic systems company headquartered in Deer Park, New York. In May 1997 Armstrong was named a director at Ohio National Financial Services Inc., a Cincinnati-based provider of diversified financial services. At that time, he also served on the boards of Cinergy Corp. and Cincinnati Milacron Inc. He maintained his residence at a farm near Lebanon, Ohio, and made occasional public appearances in nearby Wapakoneta, his boyhood home and the site of the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum. Further Reading Information on Armstrong's historic participation in the space program is contained in Chris Crocker, Great American Astronauts (1988), Buzz Aldrin and Malcolm McConnell, Men from Earth (1989), and Alan B.

Shepard, Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon (1994). Armstrong, together with Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, wrote a memoir of the Apollo 11 moon voyage in First on the Moon (1970). □ Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA COPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group, Inc. Armstrong, Neil (1930- ) American astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first human to stand on the Moon . The former test pilot's lunar stroll on July 20, 1969 marked the pinnacle of the most ambitious engineering project ever undertaken. Afterwards, Armstrong pursued a career in aerospace teaching, research, and business. Neil Alden Armstrong was fascinated by flying from the time of his first airplane ride when he was a six-year-old boy in Ohio . He was the son of Stephen Armstrong, an auditor who moved his family several times during Armstrong's childhood. When Neil was 13, Stephen and his wife, the former Viola Louise Engel, along with Neil and his younger brother and sister, settled in the town of Wapakoneta.

Armstrong earned his pilot's license before his driver's license, and at sixteen was not only flying airplanes, but also experimenting with a wind tunnel he had built in his basement. He worked a variety of jobs to pay for his flying lessons and also played in a jazz band, pursuing the musical interest that remained a hobby throughout his life. Armstrong earned a Navy scholarship to Purdue University, which he entered in 1947. His schooling was interrupted when the Navy called him to active duty. Armstrong soon qualified as a Navy pilot, and he was flying combat missions in Korea at the age of 20. He flew 78 missions, earning three air medals. After the Korean conflict, Armstrong left the navy and returned to Purdue. In 1955, he earned his bachelor's in aerospace engineering. In 1956, he married fellow Purdue student Janet Shearon. By then, Armstrong was a test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the forerunner of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). At NACA's facility at Edwards Air Force Base in California , Armstrong flew a variety of aircraft under development.

In 1960, Armstrong made his first of seven trips to the fringes of space in the X–15 rocket plane. The X–15, a sleek craft air-launched from a B–52 bomber and landed on Edwards's famous dry lake bed, gathered data about highspeed flight and atmospheric reentry that influenced many future designs, including the space shuttle . When the astronaut program was first announced, Armstrong discounted it, believing that the winged X–15 design and not the Mercury capsule was the better approach to space. After John Glenn made the first U.S. orbital flight in 1962, Armstrong changed his mind and applied for NASA's astronaut corps. He was accepted into the second group of astronauts, becoming the first civilian to be chosen. In March, 1966, after serving as a backup for the Gemini -Titan 5 mission, Armstrong made his first space flight as commander of Gemini-Titan 8. On this mission, Armstrong's capsule achieved the first docking between spacecraft in orbit. After docking the Gemini spacecraft to the Agena target vehicle, however, the combined vehicles began to tumble uncontrollably.

Armstrong and co-astronaut David Scott disengaged the Agena and found the problem was a thruster on their capsule that was firing continuously. They had to shut down the flight control system to stop it, an action that forced the two astronauts to abort their flight. Armstrong moved on to the moon-bound Apollo program. He was instrumental in adding a system that, in the event of a failure of the Saturn 5 booster's guidance system, would allow the astronauts to fly the enormous vehicle manually. Armstrong was on the backup crew for Apollo 8, and in January, 1969, was selected to command Apollo 11. The crew included lunar module pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. and command module pilot Michael Collins. Armstrong carried with him a piece of fabric and a fragment of a propeller from American aviators Wilbur and Orville Wrights' first airplane. On July 20, 1969, the spider-shaped lunar module Eagle carried Armstrong and Aldrin toward the Sea of Tranquility. The pre-selected landing area turned out to be much rougher than thought, and Armstrong was forced to guide the Eagle over the terrain until he found a vacant site.

The two men finally brought their craft to a soft landing with approximately thirty seconds' worth of fuel remaining. "The Eagle has landed," Armstrong reported. Almost seven hours later, he climbed down the ladder and took the epochal first step on the moon. Television viewers around the world watched as the astronaut in his bulky white suit uttered the words, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." (Viewers did not hear the word "a"; Armstrong later explained that his voice-operated microphone, which "can lose you a syllable," failed to transmit the word.) Joined by Aldrin, Armstrong spent nearly three hours walking on the moon. The astronauts deployed experiments, gathered samples, and planted an American flag. They also left a mission patch and medals commemorating American and Russian space explorers who had died in the line of duty, along with a plaque reading, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. We came in peace for all mankind." Then the three men took their command module Columbia safely back to Earth. Armstrong and the other Apollo 11 astronauts then traveled around the world for parades and speeches.

The mission brought honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Harmon International Aviation Trophy, the Royal Geographic Society's Hubbard Gold Medal, and other accolades from a total of seventeen nations. Armstrong became a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the American Astronautical Society, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Apollo 11 was Armstrong's final space mission. He moved to NASA's Office of Advanced Research and Technology, where he served as deputy associate administrator for aeronautics. One of his major priorities in this position was to further research into controlling high-performance aircraft by computer. In 1970, he earned his master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. A quiet man who values his privacy, Armstrong rejected most opportunities to profit from his fame. He left NASA in 1971, and moved his family back to Ohio to accept a position at the University of Cincinnati . There he spent seven years engaged in teaching and research as a professor of aerospace engineering. He took special interest in the application of space technology to challenges on Earth such as improving medical devices and providing data on the environment.

In 1978, Armstrong was one of the first six recipients of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, created to recognize astronauts whose "exceptionally meritorious efforts" had contributed to "the welfare of the Nation and mankind." Cite this article COPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. Armstrong, Neil American Astronaut; First Human on the Moon 1930- Born in Wapakoneta, Ohio , on August 5, 1930, Neil Alden Armstrong became a naval aviator in 1949. He received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1955 and a master of sciences degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California in 1970. Armstrong received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Purdue in 1970 and has been awarded additional honorary doctorates by various universities since that time. In 1955 Armstrong became a research test pilot for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) assigned to the X-15 rocket plane program. NASA selected Armstrong to be an astronaut in 1962.

On March 16, 1966, Armstrong and Dave Scott were launched in Gemini 8 to conduct the first two-craft linkup in space, docking with a target satellite named Agena. Apollo 11 astronauts Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Mike Collins left for the Moon on July 16, 1969. Armstrong and Aldrin landed their lunar module "Eagle" in the Moon's Sea of Tranquility four days later, on July 20. Armstrong stepped onto the surface and became the first human to set foot on the Moon. Armstrong left NASA in 1971 and became a professor of aeronautical engineering at the University of Cincinnati , where he taught until 1981. He is currently the chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc. (CTA). see also Aldrin, Buzz (volume 1); Apollo (volume 3); Apollo Lunar Landing Sites (volume 3); History of Humans in Space (volume 3). Frank R. Mignone Bibliography Chaikin, Andrew L. A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts.

Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1998. Ellis, Lee A. Who's Who of NASA Astronauts. New York: Americana Group Publishing, 2001. Internet Resources The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press Neil Alden Armstrong, 1930–2012, American astronaut, b. Wapakoneta, Ohio, grad. Purdue Univ. (B.S., 1955), Univ. of Southern California (M.S., 1970). A U.S. Navy fighter pilot during the Korean War, Armstrong became a test pilot for what was then the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics in 1955. In 1962, already a veteran of the X-15 rocket plane, Armstrong became a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut and served as command pilot of the Gemini 8 mission.

As commander of Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969), he was the first person (July 20 EDST) to set foot on the moon, saying: "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind" (the "a" was apparently lost in transmission due to static). After serving (1970–71) as an associate NASA administrator for aeronautics, Armstrong taught aeronautical engineering at the Univ. of Cincinnati from 1971 to 1979. In 1985, President Reagan appointed him to the National Commission on Space and in 1986 named him vice chairman of the panel that investigated the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger . See his First on the Moon (1970), written with G. Farmer and D. Hamblin; biography by J. R. Hansen (2005). Cite this article

Question: Neil Armstrong was a pilot in which war?
Answer: Korean